war of the spider queen 1 dissolution-第32章

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herald　to　conclude　the　ceremonials　and　the　crowd　to　rise。　Then；　still　spatnottered　with　blood；　and　with　Jeggred　looming　reassuringly　behind　her　throne；　she　motioned　for　Faeryl　to　step　forward。










C　h　a　p　t　e　r

S　I　X
Faeryl　was　pleased　to　be　chosen　first。　In　retrospect；　she　thought　the　same　thing　would　have　occurred　even　if　she　hadn't　made　sure　of　a　position　imnotmediately　in　front　of　the　dais。　The　haughty　Menzoberranyr　often　feigned　disinterest　in　their　client　city；　but　she　knew　they　understood　the　impornottance　of　Ched　Nasad。
It　was　hard　not　to　hurry；　but　she　forced　herself　to　approach　the　throne　with　a　stately　tread　consonant　with　the　dignity　of　her　position；　the　stature　of　her　House；　and　the　grandeur　of　her　homeland。　It　was　also　difficult　to　offer　a　second　graceful　obeisance　without　dropping　her　roll　of　maps；　but　she　acplished　that　as　well。
〃Ambassador；〃　said　Triel　without　any　extraordinary　warmth。　Perhaps　she　considered　Faeryl's　presence　inappropriate。
〃Matron　Mother；〃　Faeryl　replied。　Tall；　broad…shouldered　and　thick　waisted　by　the　standards　of　her　slender　race；　she　would　have　dwarfed　the　Baenre　had　the　two　of　them　been　standing　side　by　side。　〃I　know　we　sometimes　meet　in　private；　but　after　tendays　of　deliberation　I　arrived　at　a　conclusion；　one　that　pelled　me　to　confer　with　you　at　the　earliest　opportunity。〃
〃What　conclusion？〃　Triel　asked。
She　still　seemed　unconcerned　if　not　downright　cold。　Perhaps　she　was　preoccupied　with　her　affliction。
Faeryl　had　of　course　fallen　prey　to　the　same　malaise；　but　to　her　own　surnotprise；　she'd　discovered　she　was　at　least　as　worried　about　something　else：　the　well…being　of　House　Zauvirr　and　the　magnificent　city　in　which　it　amassed　its　wealth；　fought　its　covert　battles；　and　worked　its　magic。
〃I　keep　track　of　the　caravans　arriving　from　Ched　Nasad；〃　the　ambassanotdor　said。　〃For　the　past　six　tendays；　none　has。　None。　As　the　Matron　Mother　is　undoubtedly　aware；　several　major　trade　routes　converge　in　the　City　of　Shimmering　Webs；　which　then　funnels　the　merchants　on　to　Menzoberranzan。　At　least　half　the　goods　that　reach　your　cavern　e　through　us。　Exnotcept　that　now；　they　aren't　reaching　you。　The　steady　flow　has　dried　up。　Except　in　time　of　war；　that's　unprecedented。〃
〃It's　an　odd　coincidence；　certainly；　all　the　merchant　clansmen　choosing　other　destinations；　but　I'm　sure　they'll　decide　to　head　for　Menzoberranzan　next　trip；　or　the　trip　after　that。〃
Faeryl　had　to　make　a　conscious　effort　to　pose　her　features。　Othernotwise　she　would　have　scowled。　If　she　hadn't　known　better；　she　would　have　thought　Triel　was　being　deliberately　obtuse。
〃1　suspect　it　may　be　more　than　a　coincidence；〃　the　ambassador　said。　〃A　thousand　thousand　dangers　haunt　the　Underdark；　and　the　philosophers　tell　us　new　ones　are　spawning　all　the　time。　What　if　something　has　cut　the　route　between　Menzoberranzan　and　Ched　Nasad？　What　if　it's　killing　everyone　who　tries　to　pass　through？〃
〃More　than　one　tunnel　connects　the　cities；〃　rumbled　the　draegloth　unnotexpectedly；　and　despite　the　perfume　wafting　through　the　air；　Faeryl　caught　a　whiff　of　the　creature's　putrid　breath。　〃Is　that　not　so？〃
〃Exactly！〃　Triel　reached　back　around　the　edge　of　her　golden　chair　and　gave　the　half…fiend　an　approving　pat　on　the　leg。　〃Your　theory　doesn't　stand　up；　Ambassador。〃
Not　for　the　first　time；　Faeryl　wished　that　Triel's　mother　was　still　leading　House　Baenre。　The　greedy；　vicious　old　autocrat　could　be　hard　to　contend　with；　but　though　she　would　have　cherished　a　draegloth　as　a　mark　of　Lolth's　
approval　and　delighted　in　the　demidemon's　gift　for　slaughter；　she　wouldn't　have　tolerated　it　speaking　unbidden　at　a　formal　conference；　any　more　than　she　would　have　borne　such　disrespect　from　anyone　else。
〃If　the　threat　consists　of　more　than　one　beast；〃　the　emissary　said；　〃or　more　than　one　manifestation　of　a　phenomenon；　it　could　cut　more　than　one　passage。〃
Triel　shrugged。　〃If　you　say　so。〃
〃I　hesitate　to　mention　it；〃　said　Faeryl；　〃lest　I　be　thought　an　alarmist；　but　it's　even　possible　that　some　misfortune　has　befallen　Ched　Nasad　itself。〃
〃A　misfortune　so　abrupt　and　all…enpassing　that　your　folk　never　even　had　a　chance　to　dispatch　a　messenger　to　Menzoberranzan？〃　Triel　replied。　〃Nonsense。　Even　Golothaer；　home　of　our　ancestors；　didn't　perish　in　an　hour。　Besides；　I　am　personally　aware　of　several　muniqu閟　having　reached　here　from　Ched　Nasad　in　only　the　past　few　days。〃
〃I　have　received　some　of　those　sendings　myself；　Matron　Mother；　and　find　their　excuses　suspicious　at　best。　In　any　case；　the　dearth　of　traffic　from　Ched　Nasad　warrants　investigation；　and　as　my　city's　representative　in　Menzoberranzan；　the　task　is